Mortal Kombat Conquest: What Happened Next
by LadyNemisis24
Summary: My take on season 2 of MK:C. Warning: Contains some adult themes on torture that are not for kiddies. :D
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note: MK: Conquest ended far too early, in my opinion. So here's my take on what happened next. I don't own any part of the Mortal Kombat franchise; I just torture Rayden 'cause I can. I also pick and chose from the Mythologies - in my head, Shinnok fathered Shao Kahn and Rayden (MK Annihilation movie). And yes, I spell it Rayden. Let the show kommence! - LN**_

**The Throne room, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

"A bodyguard." Shao Kahn held up a small silver dagger, then tossed it to the floor of the throne room. "Dead." He lifted a knuckle ring, also in silver, and spoke again. "A thief. Dead." The next item to come from the iron bound cask was a simple tunic in a soft creamy color. "A champion. Dead." The shirt was hurled at Rayden, who caught it automatically. His eyes lowered for a moment, and in that moment, his entire body spoke of despair. "Now," Kahn continued, slamming the cask shut and stalking down the steps towards the former thunder god. "You will bow to me." The red masked guards slammed their fists into Rayden's back in perfect unison, dropping him to his hands and knees before the skull-masked Emperor of Outworld. Shao Kahn's sadistic, evil laughter filled the air as he stood looking down on the now mortal Rayden. "Yessss..." he hissed, then drew back his fist.

Some minutes later Kahn came back to himself to see the bloody ruin of the former thunder god at his feet. The white tunic and pants were covered in dirt and grime, and the hair the color of clouds was matted with bright, fresh blood. The blue, blue eyes were closed and blackened, swelling with bruises, and when the Emperor looked down at the knuckles on his hand he let loose another laugh to see the blood streaking the skin. He beckoned to a Shadow Priest, who bowed and stepped forwards. "Is he dead?" the Emperor asked curiously. The Priest dropped to Rayden's side, and after a moment shook his head in the negative. "Find someone to heal him enough to keep him that way. If he dies, it will be on your head." The Priest bowed again. "Imprison him and give him food and water, but not too much. You don't spoil a captive animal." Shao Kahn laughed once more and turned on his heel to return to his throne. "Get him out of my sight." _It is over,_ he thought in glee. _I win._ And he began to laugh once more.

**The slave quarters, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

Reiko stepped through the large iron bound door and forced down his male instinctive reaction to so much visible female flesh. Each and every one of the women in this dormitory was a personal slave to the Emperor, and as such were untouchable unless the Emperor willed it. They were beauties stolen from every realm Shao Kahn had touched, living jewels for the adornment and comfort of the Emperor. They were also trusted in a limited way, but expendable. That was why he was here. "You!" he barked at one of the women, who came forward obediently with a curtsey. "You are required." Reiko ignored the fear in her large almond-shaped green eyes.

"Yes, General Reiko," she whispered, her voice meek. He turned on his heel and left, the woman following close behind. They followed a circuitous route to the prison level, where a Shadow Priest awaited at the end of a long corridor. The woman stopped and a noise of fear escaped her. Reiko gave a growl of annoyance and turned, grabbing her bicep in a cruel grip. He shoved her forward, and she overbalanced, falling to her knees in front of the Shadow Priest. Her long, sun-kissed red curls were a splash of color in the darkness as they tumbled down to hide her face, but they could not hide the fact that she trembled fit to break.

"As requested," Reiko said in a disgusted tone, then turned on his heel and stalked off. The Shadow Priest was silent for a long moment, staring down at the woman cowering at his feet. She wore two filmy wraps, one about her hips, the other over her chest, in a deep crimson that accentuated the pale nature of her flawless skin. They did nothing to hide her slender form, and everything to emphasize it. She was the perfect choice to taunt a god.

"Woman." The Shadow Priest's voice was soft, but commanding. "You will see to the prisoner inside this cell. You will see that he eats and drinks all he is given. Do you understand?" From the motion she made, he assumed she nodded. He stepped aside, and gestured to the wooden cup and bowl on the box beside the door. "There is the food. Return when he is finished." He lifted a hand and made a pass over the door. And eery green glow seeped from the wood for a moment, then faded, and the door swung inwards. Still trembling, the woman rose to a crouch and picked up the food and water, then, with shoulders hunched and a quick glance at the Shadow Priest scurried past him into the room.

She jumped and bit off a cry when the door slammed behind her, and only her years of harsh training at the hands of the slave masters stopped her from dropping or spilling the items in her hands. She was left alone, in the dark, in the prisons of the Emperor, and she thought her heart would burst from fear.

Nothing happened for a long while, and she stood still by the door, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Nothing and no one jumped her, and her heart began to calm. Her first assumption had been that she was to be sacrificed to one of the prisoners for Shao Kahn's benefit - he had done that much and worse to the women he called his own. Soon, the reason for the need to feed the prisoner was clear, even in the low light inside the cell. The only occupant was sitting on the floor, ankles chained down, arms raised, stretched out and shackled to the wall. It was obviously a male, and a well-built one that that, wearing the remnants of white clothing. His head had sunk to his chest, and a curtain of light colored hair obscured his features.

Slowly she approached, then knelt warily. Just because he was chained did not mean he was helpless. She knew enough of the prisoners the Emperor normally kept to know that. Nervously, she leaned forward, and extended a hand to brush the hair from the face. Surprisingly, even though it was grey, the hair was soft and silky. She thought he was mostly unharmed until her fingers caught in a tangle and released a smell she knew oh so well, that of blood. The man gave a little groan as the hair tugged at his scalp, and his eyes flickered open. They fastened on her, a deep, beautiful blue, full of pain and a bottomless well of despair. She knew that look well from her years of service to the Emperor.

"I've been told to make you eat," she said in her softest, mildest tone. She shifted and picked up the cup, turning back to press it to his bottom lip. He drank thirstily, draining half the cup before falling back into a coughing fit. When she turned back after returning the cup to the floor, a heel of bread in her hands, she saw that he was staring at her, those beautiful eyes roaming over her body. It was nothing new to her that even now, captured and sure to die, this man would use some of his remaining time to appreciate a female form. She lifted the bread to his mouth as she had done with the water, but he tilted his head away and spoke to her in a rusty voice.

"You're from Earthrealm." She blinked, freezing were she was. His eyes locked with hers, and she knew she couldn't lie.

"How... how can you know that?" He gave her a pain filled smile.

"No matter what, I can always tell..." his voice trailed off, and he shifted his head again, taking the morsel of bread from her fingers and chewing it slowly and carefully. When he had swallowed, he spoke again. "You're one of Shao Kahn's personal slaves." She nodded again, holding another piece of bread to his lips. He shook his head. "Water," he asked, his voice cracking. He drank again, then leaned his head back against the stone wall and his eyes pierced her. "What is your name?"

"They called me Kimari." He shook his head.

"Your real name. Your earth name." She lowered her head, covering her face in the glory of her hair again. He rattled his chains a little, and she startled, lifting her head again. "I am Rayden. I... was... the god of thunder and protector of the Earthrealm, before being tricked into coming to Outworld. Your name?" Her soft lips parted in shock. He was a _god_? "No one will hear your secrets from my lips." A bitter laugh welled up in her.

"If the Emperor commands it, you'll dance naked for his pleasure. His priests are very skilled in the art of torture." The blue eyes half closed for a moment, then bored into hers again. "I don't have to talk to you," she said, averting her gaze with effort, then lifted the bread to his lips again. He continued to talk to her between bites and sips of water.

"You must have been young when you were taken, but strong too, to have lasted unmarked within the Emperors' palace. Were you sold, or stolen?" He marked the twitch she gave. "Sold it is. And I would guess... Eight, yes? You were eight when you were sold." Again, she twitched, this time flicking a glance to his face and then away. "It's not that hard to guess, I heard the rumors of the Emperors' personal slaves... oh, years ago. And how they come to serve." He had finished both the bread and water, and she gathered the plate and cup, holding them to her ample breast and rising to her bare feet. "Please," he said to her as she backed away towards the door, and now she could see that his banter and questions were masking a desperation bordering on madness. "Please, if you just help-"

She cut him off by banging on the door. "No one escapes Shao Kahn. No one." She shook her head as the door opened, then slipped through. Her last view of the former thunder god before the door closed showed him lower his head to his chest once more and obscure those extraordinary eyes once again.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note: As always, I don't own any of the MK characters. Such a shame.**_

**The Throne room, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

He reclined on the throne of iron and bone, and ran one hand over and over the hilt of the sword that lay across his lap. Finally, Shao Kahn could resist no longer. "Bring them to me!" he thundered. A Shadow Priest approached the throne, carrying an iron bound chest. He bowed low and held the chest up to his Emperor, and had it snatched from his hands. Kahn rested the box on his knees, then nicked his finger on the blade of his sword. The Emperor of Outworld allowed three drops of blood to fall upon the ornate lock, and watched as they were absorbed into the strange metal. There was a click, and the lid swung soundlessly up. A grin stretched his lips as Shao Kahn stared within at the handiwork of his Shadow assassins.

Nestled on the silken fabric that lined the box were a collection of vials, bound in silvery wire and filled with different colors of swirling mist. Lovingly, he stroked a hand over the bottles, reveling in the pain and anger that filled them. Delicately, he lifted one filled with a blue-grey mist and held it up to his eyes. "Ah, Princess," he whispered, his voice a caress filled with evil delight. "You were wrong to oppose me. I could have given you entire realms." He closed the distance between his lips and the bottle, kissing it slowly, shivering as ecstasy filled him at her disgust and loathing. As an Edenian, even trapped in a soul jar, she was aware of what was going on around her, and her soul writhed in anger at her fate.

Replacing the princess' bottle in the box, he drew another one, this one containing a dark green mist. "Quan Chi," he rumbled. Unlike the princess, the sorcerer couldn't tell what was going on outside the walls of his glass prison. He was truly trapped in limbo, until Shao Kahn decided to free him or destroy the jar, sending Quan Chi's spirit to the Netherealm as a powerless dishonored spirit. Putting the necromancer down, he lifted the last vial from the box, this one a black-shot bloody crimson. Holding the vial cupped in his hand, he closed the box and gestured to the Shadow Priest to take it away.

Shao Kahn rolled the bottle between his palms until the Shadow Priest was gone, then beckoned over one of the throne room guards. "Remove your mask," he commanded, watching as the man obediently stripped off his cloth head and returned to stillness, waiting for Shao Kahn's next command. He had straight black hair and black eyes, with a golden tinge to his skin and a youthful aura. The Emperor of Outworld gathered his energies, then uncorked the bottle, shoving the energy inside into the body of the guard. As the crimson mist surrounded his head, then man tried to scream, but it was choked off as the smoke slid down his throat and filled his body. Shao Kahn watched as knowledge filled the man's eyes, and a cruel smile crooked his lips as the guard sank to his knees and bowed his head.

"Shang Tsung. You understand what has happened?" The sorcerer kept his head bowed.

"Yes, my Emperor. I was imprisoned within a soul jar." His voice was rough, but got smoother with every word as Shang got used to his new vocal cords.

"You also understand that having captured you once I can put you back in the vial whenever I please?" The Emperor's tone was silky with threat. Shang Tsung bowed forwards until his forehead touched the bottom step of the thrones' dais.

"Yes, my Emperor."

"I don't give second chances... ever, sorcerer. Why should I be so generous towards you?" Kahn's voice filled the throne room, and it seemed the shadows danced in glee at the deadly tone it carried. Keeping his forehead pressed to the step, Shang replied, striving for neutrality but conveying bitterness.

"You hold my soul, my very existence, mighty Shao Kahn. I am your creature, and seek only to serve you." The Emperor gave a booming laugh filled with evil. "I will not fail you. Command me, my Emperor." There was a long silence, where Shang Tsung kept his pose of submission at the foot of the dais.

"Yessss..." Shao Kahn hissed, "I believe that you will not fail me... again." Again threat lay on his voice like a heavy blanket. "Rise, sorcerer." Awkwardly, still uncomfortable in his new flesh, Shang Tsung climbed to his feet, but kept his head bowed. "Look at me," Kahn commanded. Shang raised his head, and met the Emperor's eyes with his own. Shao Kahn gave another evil laugh. "The face changes, but the eyes, ah, the eyes do not. Serve me well and faithfully, Shang Tsung, and you will remain free. Fail me..." and here he held up the soul jar. "Fail me and return to nothingness." His cruel smile bloomed. "Or the Netherealm." He saw the shudder, quickly stilled by the sorcerer. "Now get out of my sight." Shang Tsung bowed low to the figure on the throne, then left, leaving the Emperor smiling in satisfaction.

**The slave quarters, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

"Kimari!" The woman's voice was both angry and impatient, and the red head raced across the floor to curtsey low at her feet and kept her green eyes lowered. The woman was Mikaro, and through cunning intrigue and sheer will power, she was the most powerful female in Shao Kahn's private harem. Every woman in the dormitory feared Mikaro, and with good reason. It was only when she peeked through her lashes that Kimari realized that Mikaro wasn't alone, that a Shadow Priest stood at her elbow. She began to tremble again. "You are to go with the Priest. Now." Kimari curtsied again, and the Shadow Priest took her in tow.

They followed the same route as she had yesterday, but this time the Priest stopped her at the head of the corridor and lifted her palm in his. Kimari quailed at the touch of his cold, cold flesh, and the Shadow Priest smiled to see it. He made a gesture above her palm, then sung his hand down, his nails tearing her skin and leaving it beaded with drops of bright red blood. Something sang in her veins, and her mouth filled with an awful taste. "You will continue to come here, once a day at this time, to give the prisoner all the food that sits beside the door. Do you understand?" Kimari felt her heart grow heavy, but she curtsied in obedience. What else could she do? "The charm I just passed into your blood will allow you to open the door." With that, he turned and left her to stand alone.

It seemed to the woman that the stone corridor stretched forwards forever, but she squared her shoulders and began to walk down it. Glancing left and right as she walked, she saw other, similarly barred doors, but hesitated to look within, not wanting to see the others the Emperor had at his mercy. Stalling now, and dragging her feet, she stopped within arms reach of the door at the end of the corridor. _Why me?_ she thought to herself, then quashed that feeling. If the Emperor commanded it, or one of the Emperor's Priests, she would obey. Or die.

Kimari hesitantly waved her hand across the prisons' door, not really expecting anything to happen. Instead, the eery green glow came again, then the door swung inwards silently. With the grace that had been beaten into her from her eighth year, she stooped and gathered the now familiar cup and bowl and stepped through. This time she did not jump as the door slammed behind her, but she did stand still and wait for her eyes to adjust to the subdued light inside the cell.

Today the former god was watching her from the moment she stepped inside. He looked no better than yesterday; in fact, new bruises shadowed his jaw and neck, but Rayden's eyes were still that incredibly deep shade of blue, and they still pierced her to her core with their despair and desperation. "So," he said eventually, breaking the silence, "they sent you back." Kimari nodded.

"Believe me, it is not my choice," she muttered as she knelt by his side and offered the water cup. His eyes studied her over the rim as he drank.

"Am I such a terrible fate in this place?" he mused aloud as she ferried a piece of bread to his mouth. She allowed herself to glare at him.

"You speak dangerous words. You-" she broke off, shaking her head angrily and tossing her red gold curls at being baited into speaking to him. To her surprise, Rayden gave a rusty laugh, but one that was filled with bitterness and hatred.

"You are a _personal_ slave to Shao Kahn, and you're afraid of _me_?" He laughed again, his silken grey hair sliding back, and she head the echoes of madness in that laugh. "Believe me, _Kimari_, I'm harmless. Helpless. Mortal." His voice dropped. "Alone." Kimari felt a twinge of sympathy, a dangerous emotion anywhere in Outworld, but said nothing as she continued to feed the former thunder deity pieces of food. Today the wooden platter also held a withered piece of star fruit, the only fruit that would grow in Outworld. _A cruel joke_, she thought, as the fruit was as bitter as the kiss of deep winter. Yet she had her instructions to see that he ate all of the food, and that included the star fruit. She kept some of the bread aside and held the fruit up to his mouth.

Rayden spat and shuddered away as the droplets of juice stung his lips. Kimari found herself speaking. "I'm sorry, but I must..." She stopped herself and could have bitten her tongue out at the considering look he gave her. Then, to her surprise, he simply nodded and opened his mouth. His features twisted as he chewed and swallowed, and there was gratitude in his blue, blue eyes as she immediately lifted the water cup and gave him a drink.

"That's_awful_," he rasped, leaning away from the cup. "What in the names of the Elder Gods was _that_?" A thin smile of pity curled the corner of Kimari's mouth, and she ignored the warning her brain gave her not to talk to the new made mortal.

"_That_ was star fruit, the only fruit that grows here." She fed him the last of the bread. "They say it grew from the poisoned blood of the true King of Outworld after the Emperor's betrayal. No one eats it unless they have no choice."

"I can see why," he said, finishing his mouthful and swallowing. Kimari gave him the rest of the water and rose to her feet. His eyes followed her as she crossed the small cell and passed her hand over the door again. "Thank you," he added, and her eyes rounded in surprise. "Will I see you again?" Kimari found herself nodding, sending her hair swinging over her shoulders.

"But I won't free you," she said hastily. That bitter, despairing laugh was cut off by the closing of the door, and Kimari found herself grateful that it was so.

**The Temple of the Elder Gods, all realms and none**

Seven altars stood in a massive room that was filled with shifting shadows and beams of light. Seven figures, all different shapes and forms, argued amongst themselves, in the voices of the divine.

"He has abrogated his responsibility to Earthrealm," the Elder God of Fire argued. "Rayden cannot be found, will not answer our summons, and no longer stands as protector. He should be replaced." The Elder God of Light nodded his approval, and other members of the council shifted.

"And why can we not find him?" the Elder Goddess of Water asked, irritation in her tone. "Not since the treachery of Shinnok have we _lost_ a god, and now the protector of Earthrealm is missing. Missing!"

The Elder God of Shadows spoke up. "What matter as to how or why he is gone? What we must deal with is that he _is_ gone. We must now appoint a replacement, another protector of the realm of Earth."

"Then we are agreed," the Elder God of Time rumbled. "Summon the Earthrealm wind god Fujin to the Temple."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note: I don't own MK. sigh Thanks to Loki7000 and LordKristophus for their reviews, and yes, LordKristophus, Conquest has aired on Aussie TV. Like you, I was a kid, but I would always find some excuse to be awake at 2am to catch it. :D - LN**_

**The prisons, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

They took him from this dark hole twice a day, stretching him out for Shao Kahn's pleasure. He was beaten, whipped, burned, bruised and bloodied, then healed by a servant of the Emperor, enough so he wouldn't die from his wounds, and returned to the cell. And always Shao Kahn demanded just one thing of him. But no matter what the torture, not matter what the torment, he would not. He was Rayden, God of Thunder and protector of the realm of Earth. He would not bow at Shao Kahn's feet. He was quite willing to die first. And he had sworn in those first moments of waking after the first beating at Shao Kahn's hands that if he died, he would take Kahn with him. For Taja, for Siro, and for Kung Lao, taken too early by treachery, for this revenge he was willing to die.

The door opened, and he looked up to see a vision in crimson and pale flesh in the doorway. No wonder they'd sent her; no male could look upon that woman and not feel aroused. It was another torment, not one of the body, but of the soul, cruelly reminding him of what he had lost, and what he could never have again. But he dredged up a smile for her, a false one, and nodded in her direction. "Welcome back," he said, trying to put some of his old, cheerful tone into his voice. "Did you miss me?" Surprisingly, she laughed, a bright burst of sound in the darkness, then immediately tried to raise a hand to cover her mouth as she looked around with those extraordinary green eyes to see if anyone noticed. His soul mourned to see such a beautiful Earthrealm woman in such a place, by design, no doubt. A thought pierced through the despair that clouded his mind. _Kahn wouldn't send an Earthrealm woman by design; he's too paranoid, too canny. She was chosen, but not because she's a mortal, human, Earth woman. She was chosen just to flaunt her flesh before me, to show me what I can no longer have. Kahn must never know that she's from Earthrealm._

But he managed to banter with her, and thank her sincerely for the food and water. He was rewarded by a shy smile as she slipped from the room. Rayden exhaled as he rested his head against the stone wall of his prison and closed his eyes, awaiting his next beating.

**The prisons, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

The door closed behind Kimari, and she was startled to find a smile on her face. He was... endearing, in certain ways. But she could never risk her life and her soul at the Emperors' hands to free him. _Does he still not understand?_ she thought as she retraced her way through the corridors. _Shao Kahn is the most powerful force in the realms, and we are both his captives._ She was startled out of her thoughts at the sound of cruel male laughter, and she silently cursed herself for her inattention. Such an attitude could easily get her killed.

Kimari stepped sideways, lowering her eyes demurely as a troop of the Emperor's crimson sashed guards sauntered past. Two of them dragged another man, stripped to the waist. They would know from her clothing and her cleanliness that she wasn't an ordinary slave, so she felt it safe enough to show a little curiosity about their burden. It was a human male, young looking, slender but muscled, with short dark hair. What she could see of his skin tone between the bruises was that he was colored somewhat like an pale Edenian, but with a more yellow cast. And it took an entire troop to escort him through the prison levels, so he must be more than he seemed. As they laughed, a cell door was opened, and the man hurled inside. Kimari suppressed a sympathetic wince as she heard him hit the stone floor inside. As she walked away, keeping her eyes lowered, she heard one of the troops call out to the prisoner with false heartiness in his voice.

"Bad luck, Kung Lao, maybe next time the odds will be in your favor!"

**Private domain of the Elder Goddess of Stone, The Heavens**

The Elder Goddess looked down at her form out of habit and nodded. A woman, elderly in looks with wrinkled skin, greying hair and stone grey eyes, but still strong and supple. Her favorite clothing draped her body; a sleeveless grey over robe that reached to her feet, earthen brown tunic, pants and boots, slashed at the waist by a grey woven belt. Her mood soured as she considered the similarities between her preferred method of dress in this form, and that of the Thunder God, Rayden. Her lips twisted as she considered her dilemma yet again. And the fools on the council had the gall to call _her_ stone headed! _The Thunder God was no where to be found!_

Her musings were cut short by a request running on a mental thread, something only a divinity could hear and respond to. She gave her permission, and watched as a patch of the stone fortress she had created as her home shifted and changed, becoming a deep, still pool of water, still bordered by stone. A figure rose up from the pool, shifting and changing as well, until a woman's figure stood upon the surface of the pond. She was gowned simply in a garment that gathered beneath her small breasts and fell to her bare feet, but that contained all the myriad colors of water and swirled in waves of motion. She had long, midnight, unbound hair that also reached to her ankles, and her eyes would have been disturbing to a mortal, containing a vista of an ocean, waves rippling endlessly. The Elder Goddess of Stone simply smiled and raised a hand in greeting.

"Well met, Sister Water. Welcome to my domain." The woman in the gown of water smiled in return and stepped from the pool onto the stone.

"Well met indeed, Sister Stone." She looked around, her strange eyes taking in everything, including her sisters' dress, and she came to the appropriate conclusion. "You are going to Earthrealm?" Stone nodded, then shrugged.

"It is most unlike the protector of Earthrealm to simply vanish." The Elder Goddess of Water raised her hand and tilted her head.

"Former protector, Sister. Or did you forget that Fujin was sworn on the Seal of the Heavens as the new protector of the Earthrealm?"

"I forget nothing," Stone snapped in reply. "I also do not forget that no one on the council seems to be willing to even _look_ for Rayden!" She took a deep breath. "My apologies, Sister. I know that you alone seem to care for him." Water gave a laugh that was the sound of rain falling.

"Peace, Sister, as you know then what he is to me." The Elder Goddess of Water stepped close to Stone. "But I am worried. _No one_ should have the ability to hide a god from us. _No one_." A terrible thought struck Stone, and before she could think, she voiced it aloud.

"What if he isn't a god any more?" Water drew in her breath and swayed back as if slapped. "No, I am sure I am incorrect. Who can strip a god of his powers aside from the council of Elders?" Water shook her head, and Stone was able to read the true worry in her eyes. She reached out, knowing from the ones who worshiped her that touch was considered a comfort. "Be at peace, my Sister, I will do my best to find your son."

**The Trading Post, Shu Sin, Earthrealm**

A breeze stirred the dust covering the mats on the floor of the courtyard. Papers began to flap as the breeze grew stronger, and a trunk left open slammed shut. The wind grew to a crescendo, then died, as a figure popped into existence in the middle of the courtyard. He was quite tall, with white hair drawn back and up in a pony tail that fell down to the small of his back. He wore green, loose trousers, gathered at the ankles by spiked bracers, a short sleeved grey shirt under a broad shouldered brown leather over vest with gold trim, and the entire outfit was topped by a broad gold and brown belt and a pair of steel wrist cuffs. Aside from a certain ageless quality to him, he could be any earth warrior. It was his eyes that gave him away as something other than human. They were solid white, and blazed in his firm jawed face.

Fujin stepped cautiously through the wreckage of the Trading Post. _What in the Names happened here? Some wild mortal party?_ He toed a shard of crockery aside, uneasiness building in him. He had visited the monks at the Temple of Light, and was told that the last victor of Mortal Kombat was to be found here. As the new protector of Earthrealm, it was his duty to get to know this Kung Lao. But there was nothing; no Champion, no other mortals, nothing but a chaos of broken jars and ripped silks. And his brother Rayden wasn't here either.

There was a knocking on the gate, and it creaked open to reveal an elderly woman. "Excuse me," she called in a quavering voice, "but I seek to trade!" Fujin swallowed a bitter curse and stepped from the shadows to bow, his white pony tail sliding over his shoulder to brush the ground. _What is she doing here?_

The Elder Goddess of Stone abandoned her pretext of age and straightened, then shoved the gate closed, eyeing the Wind God. "Fujin," she said, her voice filled with wariness.

"Elder Goddess," he replied evenly with the courtesy required of him. "To what do I owe the honor of your presence in Earthrealm?" He was surprised by her snort.

"You know as well as I do why I'm here, Wind God." _Yes, I do, you old hag, but I'm going to make you say it, _he thought privately. He put an expression of polite puzzlement on his face.

"No, Elder, I am afraid I do not." _You're here to punish my brother for abandoning his post, and I won't let you!_ She stepped forward, her staff thumping on the floor, her grey eyes boring into his.

"Quit the act, Fujin," she said, power in her voice. "I am not here to see your brother suffer for his sins." Stone paused, and added, "But since we can't find him, punishment is a moot point, is it not?" Her eyes flickered, revealing a little of her eternal energy, and Fujin swallowed, forced to remember that she was an Elder, and a god that outranked him. To hide his own growing anger, he bowed again.

"My apologies, Elder, of course, as always, you are correct. I shall strive to moderate my behavior to a pleasing mien." _And I will never let you see how much I hate you and all your council cronies for abandoning my brother to an unknown fate_, Fujin added silently.

"I feel your rage, Wind God," she said, her voice containing the rumble of an earthquake. "Think you I cannot see past your pretty speeches?" Stone's voice rose. "Think you I do not see the danger? That a god could simply _vanish_?"

The words tumbled out of Fujin's mouth before he could contain them. "Don't try and pretend you care! He's my _brother_! I _know_ he wouldn't just pack up and leave!" The Elder Goddess studied the Wind God for a moment, and then a satisfied smile curled her lips.

"I know that, Fujin, and _you _know that, but the council refuses to see it. That's why I'm here in Earthrealm." The Wind God blinked, his anger dissipating. "I'm going to find him, and see what manner of being could keep the Earthrealm's Thunder God from his sworn duty." Her smile changed, becoming edged and dangerous, a strange sight on her apparently aged features. "And see what I have to do to stop it."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note: Once again, I don't own Mortal Kombat or any of the characters pertaining thereunto, blah, blah, blah.**_

**The Throne room, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

Shao Kahn watched, very pleased, as the whip sang through the air again, causing the former god shackled to the post to sway. The post itself was some twelve feet tall, and the chains on the now mortal and half naked Rayden were affixed through a hook at the very top. Even if his knees gave, he couldn't fall to escape the caress of the scourge. Shao Kahn smiled as he watched Rayden's eyes close in pain, and he gloated as the former Thunder God sagged against the post, trying desperately to relieve some of the pain in his arms.

The Emperor lifted a hand, and the guard pulled the stroke he was about to deliver. Silence filled the room, broken only by Rayden's harsh gasping breaths. Leisurely, Shao Kahn rose and approached his prisoner. Rayden opened his blue eyes warily and watched the Emperor as he stooped to lift a ladle full of water from a bucket on the floor. "Tired, Rayden?" he asked in a falsely friendly tone. "Thirsty?" With that he dashed the water on the former god, who clenched his teeth to muffle a howl as the salted water splashed over the open lash wounds on his back. Shao Kahn laughed, well pleased at his prisoners' pain, and dipped another serve, and another.

He returned to his throne and relaxed, sighing like a satisfied lover. With a curving motion of his hand, his energies played along the shackles, lifting them from the hook and dumping Rayden to the floor in a clatter of chains. For a moment, the former god lay motionless, then, with an immense effort, rose to his feet and stood, swaying, but standing. Shao Kahn clapped ironically. "Wonderful, Rayden, I thought for certain this time..." He leaned forwards, as if sharing a confidence. "There is only so much a mortal body can take before it either breaks or dies." Slowly, Rayden lifted his head to meet the Emperor's eyes. He said nothing, but Shao Kahn's good mood began to fade. He simply stood, and that was enough of an act of defiance. The Emperor hid it, and spoke again in the false friendly tone. "Once more I ask you, end your torment. Kneel to me, and I shall release you into death. The pain will end. All you must do is demonstrate my dominion over you." He gave his evil laugh. "Just kneel, Thunder God, and it will all stop." All Rayden did in answer was close his eyes and shake his head.

"Kneel!" Shao Kahn roared, spittle flying from his lips, bounding up from his throne, his admittedly limited patience finally exhausted. Again the former god shook his head. Shao Kahn snatched up his broadsword and thundered down the stairs of the dais. One hand fisted in Raydens' now matted and greasy hair, wrenching his head back, the other pressed the blade of the sword to the side of the former god's throat. Kahn watched the pulse jump in fascination, but all Rayden did was open his eyes. "You will kneel," he hissed into his captives' face. Rayden spoke for the first time during the torture session, in a cracked and broken whisper.

"I will not." He swayed back, pulling away from the blade and then swung his chains up. For a moment, his former speed and agility returned to him, and in a deft move he flipped the loop of chains around the Emperor's neck. Shoving against Shao Kahn, crossing his wrists, he turned and dropped, desperately trying to break Kahn's spine. But he was too weak. Shao Kahn sacrificed his hold on Rayden's hair to grab the chains just where they attached to the wrist cuffs and lifted up, against the attempted drop. In the end, the former god dangled like a fish on a hook, joined to Kahn by the chain looping around the Emperor's neck.

Shao Kahn snarled, definitely unamused. Ducking his head, he divested himself of the chain, then hurled Rayden across the room. Rayden crashed to the floor, rolled a few times, and lay still, a trickle of blood painting the side of his neck and running down over his pale skin.

**The prisons, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

Kimari nervously looked around, then swiftly moved down the hall. Instead of being empty handed until she arrived at the cell door, today she carried a bucket, covered with folds of cloth. Full of nerves, and desperate not to be seen, she waved her hand at the door. Today it seemed an eternity before it swung open, and she shoved the bucket inside before she grabbed the usual plate and cup and slipped inside. When the cell door closed, she leaned against it and panted a little, noticing the shake in her hands. _This is really stupid,_ she told herself for the millionth time.

"Rayden?" She spoke the name softly. Nothing but silence answered her. Moving across the room, she placed the cup and plate in their accustomed place by his side and returned for the bucket. "Rayden?" she asked again and she knelt. There was a terrible stillness, a total silence to him that frightened her, but why she could not say. "Rayden!" This time she put urgency in her voice and reached out, lifting his face to what little light there was. What she saw made her shudder.

Two black eyes, a swollen lip, a knot on both his chin and cheek, a gash on his forehead and a slice on his neck, these were the only visible wounds. But there was a hollowness to his face, an awful emptiness that said there was no one home. Desperately, she pressed her hand to his throat, and felt herself choke on her pulse until she felt his heart beat. He was alive, at least, but she had seen that emptiness before, on the faces of those who had been tortured by the Emperor.

Dipping a cloth into the bucket of water, she began to gently wipe the former god's face. _Why am I doing this?_ she thought to herself as the blood and grime began to come off. _What is he to me?_ He moaned, a pitiful sound, and stirred under her hands, only able to open one eye part way.

" 'Mari?" he slurred, trying to focus.

"Shhh," she soothed, "yes, it's only me." She continued her ministrations, noting the returning of knowledge and awareness to the one open blue eye. He sagged against the wall, then gave a hiss of pain. Glancing over his shoulder, Kimari swallowed a gasp at the number of lash wounds covering the skin, turning the muscular pale expanse into a nightmare of blacks, purples and reds. "Oh, Rayden," she murmured, dabbing at the wound on his throat. "What a foolish, stupid, brave thing to do. At the end of your strength, trying to kill Shao Kahn in the middle of his own throne room." He blinked slowly up at her. "Yes," she continued, correctly interpreting his surprise, "we've all heard the story. About how you laughed in the face of the whip, and tried to strangle Shao Kahn with the chains he placed upon you." She shook her head, smiling in admiration. "Why, Rayden? Why would you do such a thing?"

**The prisons, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

Rayden looked up at the woman, feeling her hands caressingly gentle as she cleansed his wounds. Why? He spoke before he thought.

"Because he killed them."

"Who?" she asked in return, shifting to wipe the blood that had trailed over his chest.

"Taja. Siro. And Kung Lao. He killed them all." Strangely, she paused for a moment, her hand so warm and human against his skin.

"Kung Lao? Dark hair, slender but muscular?" He frowned up at her, not comprehending. She smiled gently. "No, that one is still alive." Kimari patted him in reassurance. "So you have one less reason to try and commit suicide." Rayden simply stared at her.

"He's_alive_?" he whispered. "How?" She gave a little shrug, her glorious hair sliding around her face.

"I can't tell you that, but I do know he's in a cell quite some distance away. I saw some guards toss him inside, and when I say that, I really mean they threw him." His mind was awhirl. Desperately, he closed his eye, trying to think.

_Kung Lao is alive. So Taja and Siro? No, there is a benefit to keeping the champion of Mortal Kombat alive, he wouldn't need the other two, unless he kept them to leash Kung Lao. So why then-_ For a moment, for the former thunder god, everything stopped in a crystal clear moment of clarity. In that moment he saw it all. _Kahn was not invading Earthrealm, he was waiting for Rayden to give it to him!_ Hope flared, hot and potent, spreading to his limbs and warming his pained, icy flesh. His good eye snapped open, and he found the words tumbling from his bloodied lips.

"If I kneel in submission, Earthrealm kneels to Shao Kahn. Once he finds out that I know, he won't stop at anything to break me. They died on me once, you have to stop them dying again!" Rayden knew that his desire to resist had been grounded in the illusion that he had nothing left to lose, whereas Shao Kahn must have thought the opposite would hold true. Now he knew that Kahn had been playing with him, had simply been enjoying the opportunity to torture him, and that the Emperor's next step would be to torture his mortal friends before his eyes until he gave in. And Rayden knew that he would, to keep them alive. "You have to help me!" He put all his desperate hopes into those words, willing Kimari to agree.

The slave pulled away, shaking her head. "Yes," he pleaded, "please, 'Mari! You can come with us, back to Earthrealm, and be free! But we have to find Kung Lao, and we have to get out of here!" Her extraordinary green eyes were full of tears.

"I can't," she whispered. "I'm just a slave! He'll catch me, kill me, or worse!" Rayden knew exactly what she meant by 'or worse'. "Don't ask me this, please, don't."

Rayden allowed silence to fall for a beat. Then he spoke, his voice soft and gentle. "Kimari, truly, I am sorry, but there is no one else. The fate of Earthrealm rests upon your shoulders. If I kneel before Shao Kahn of my own free will, all is lost, and Earthrealm is added to the dominion of Outworld."

"I need to think," the beautiful woman choked, turning away. "I can't think."

"There isn't any time, 'Mari. I well and truly snapped the leash on Kahn's patience when I tried..." He stopped, and took a breath. "He will torture my friends to death before my eyes to make me give him what he wants. Can you let that happen?" She spun to glare at him through the tears that glittered in her eyes.

"I've seen more than one of those I've called friend raped to death by Shao Kahn. Don't talk to me like I don't know what will happen, what he will do!" Her chest heaved with the conflicting emotions that surged in her.

"Taja is a woman," he said softly. "If she's still alive..." Rayden let his voice trail off.

"She won't be for long," Kimari finished, then sat on the floor, her legs giving out. She bowed her head, hiding in the red gold beauty of her hair. Rayden kept his silence, watching her, silently begging her to make the right choice, knowing that if he pushed her now, she'd break and run, and he'd never see her again. After an eternity, she spoke, her voice soft and uncertain. "You promise, you swear to me on your life that you'll take me with you?"

"Yes," the former god replied simply. "I swear it on my life."

_**End note:**_ _**Sorry about break in the middle there, but I just couldn't think of any other more elegant way of switching POV, and, well, the story kinda hinged on being able to hear what ol' Sparky is thinking. -LN  
**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's note: Y'know, I planned on writing this over a couple of days, maybe a week or so, taking it easy and relaxing as I went. Then my muse decided to pull her old trick of the fully loaded baseball bat to the back of the metaphoric skull. Oh well. -LN**_

**The Trading Post, Shu Sin, Earthrealm**

"So where do we start?" Fujin asked eagerly after a moment of silence.

"We?" the Elder Goddess of Stone replied, amused. "You should not forget you have other responsibilities at the moment, young Wind God." She wagged a finger in his direction as her eyes grey eyes slid half closed. Fujin fought a shudder as he felt her powerful mind sweep out, covering Earthrealm. "Rayden's not here, as the council well knew. But there is something else. Something out of balance." She frowned, and added thoughtfully, "Something I wouldn't have noticed unless I set foot on this realm."

It was Fujin's turn to frown and reach out with the senses mortals did not posses, and he too felt the wrongness, the warping of the fabric of the Earthrealm. "It feels... It feels almost like a portal, but it's too big. It would swallow a city at that size." Stone nodded, agreeing with the younger god. "But a portal to where?" he added, frustrated.

"Why don't we find out?" Stone answered, and winked out. Fujin was left gaping for a moment before he, too, teleported, letting his new link with Earthrealm guide him. He popped back into the realm, neatly and precisely beside the Elder Goddess, and stopped, stunned. He knew from the expression on Stone's face that she couldn't believe the size of the vortex either. As Fujin had sensed, it was huge, truly big enough to swallow an entire city. Only one phrase came to the Wind God's lips.

"This is not good."

**The prisons, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

Kimari examined the chains that tethered the former god to the wall. It was a simple hook design, but she'd need to uncouple the shackles on his ankles to give her the slack needed to to unhook it. So that was where she turned her attention first. The guards normally carried a flat piece of steel to lever the bar lock up; she only had her hands to pry at it. Luckily for both her and the former deity, since they'd been used so often, they were relatively easy to open. She did rip two nails to the quick and bruised her thumb, but she ignored the sharp pains as she coaxed Rayden to his feet. Shao Kahn would give her much worse should he catch her from this point on.

With that thought uppermost in her head, she unhooked the chains and draped Rayden's arm over her shoulder. He could take some of his weight, but his body was simply too brutalized to stay standing for long. "Sorry about this," she murmured, then wrapped her arm about his waist. Kimari felt him shudder in pain as she put pressure on the lash wounds that reached even that far, but was grateful he did not cry out. She turned her head to look at him, meeting his only open eye with hers for a long moment from inches away. Slowly, his face grew closer, and, just for a second, his lips brushed hers.

"For luck," he whispered. "And in case I never get to kiss a woman again."

"We're going to need a plan," Kimari whispered back, blushing furiously. Her heart was pounding, and it wasn't just from the deadly situation they were in. Rayden just gave a twisted smile.

"Find a lone guard. Distract him. I'll do the rest."

"That's it?" Kimari muttered as they shuffled over to the door. "That's your plan." She shook her head a little as she waved at the door to open it. "We're going to die."

"Have a little faith," Rayden murmured in response, squinting up the hall. "The old tricks are normally the best. Let's go."

Like a pair of drunken sailors, the pair wove their way along the corridor, Rayden steadying himself with his free hand on the wall. They slowed and checked into every cell on their way, but the occupants seemed to be nothing more than rotting skeletons. Eventually they reached the intersection, and Rayden had Kimari rest him against a wall while she checked the corridors that led off the one he hid in. She came back with the all clear, so they continued on their way. Luck favored them, as the corridors were mostly deserted. They heard groups of guards twice, and had plenty of warning, so they ducked into empty cells and waited until they were passed by. In this fashion, they made it without discovery to the corridor that held Kung Lao's cell.

"One guard," Rayden murmured into Kimari's ear. "Just move out and walk past him." Kimari opened her mouth to protest, and he silenced her by placing a finger on her lips, cautious of the chains making noise. "You can do this. Trust me, you're distraction enough." She let out a sigh and nodded. They shifted around, leaning Rayden's shoulder against the wall to support his weight, and Kimari stepped free. She took a deep breath, then tugged at her clothing a little, exposing a little more thigh, a little more breast. She leaned forward, running her fingers through her hair, then tossing it back, shaking it out into a red gold halo around her face. She pinched her cheeks and nibbled at her lips to bring them to full blooming color, then, with one last look at Rayden, who nodded, that twisted smile in place. Kimari boldly stepped around the corner, surrounding herself with what she had been trained to be; a magnificent adornment and a creature designed specifically for pleasure.

She moved in a sensual strut, hips swaying provocatively, chin lifted. She glanced at the guard, then away, then slanted her eyes back again as if she couldn't bear not to look at him. Kimari definitely had his attention from the way his cloth-wrapped head swung to follow her. As a finale, and to make sure he wasn't paying attention to anything but her, she looked back over her shoulder and gave him her best, most sultry smile. As if in a daze, he took a half step in her direction, and it was at that moment Rayden struck. Once again he looped his chains around a neck, but this time he was behind the other man, and used his weight to drop the pair of them to the ground. The guard kicked and struggled, but even in his battered state Rayden kept the pressure on, and after long, agonizing moments, the other man collapsed into unconsciousness. Then, with brutal precision, Rayden levered himself up and broke the guards' neck.

Kimari smothered a gasp with her hand as she hurried back to the former god. "Was that really necessary?" she whispered, helping Rayden turn the body and search for the keys. Rayden gave a nod.

"I couldn't be sure that he wouldn't wake up at an inconvenient time. Ah!" he said, clamping a hand around the guards keys to keep the noise down and lifting them from his red sash. "Finally," he whispered as Kimari found the right one, and inserted it, removing the shackles from his wrists. "Thank the Elders that Kahn didn't think to spell them too." With Kimari's help, Rayden rose to his feet and wove his way over to the door of Kung Lao's cell. There was no noise from within. "Kung Lao!" he hissed, desperation in his tone. After a heartbreaking moment, as Kimari watched emotions swirl in the former god's only good eye, a cracked voice whispered back.

"_Rayden? _What-? How-?"

"I'll make a long story short, my friend, because we have no time," he replied softly. "We're leaving." Nodding to Kimari, he spoke again. "Open it." After what seemed an eternal moment, as Rayden watched the corridor for movement, Kimari finally found the right key. The door opened, and Rayden stumbled forwards. "Drag the guard in, and the chains, quickly." Kimari obeyed, and the former god closed the door behind them, leaning against it and peering into the darkness. "Kung Lao?" A figure lurched out of the darkness, and Kimari swallowed a yip of fright as it resolved into the man she'd seen dragged along the corridor.

"Rayden," he whispered, such joy, such hope in his voice. Rayden forgot his injuries and reached, and the pair clung to each other for a moment in a heartfelt embrace.

"I thought you were dead, Kung Lao," Rayden said, his voice thick with emotion, not letting go, but grasping the other man's shoulders so he could peer into his face.

"Oh, no, Rayden, what have they done to you?" Kung Lao's voice was full of shock and sadness at the appearance of the former god. Rayden waved the comment aside with a shake of his head.

"No time. Strip the guard. Hurry." Kimari stepped forward and began to unwind the red cloth from the corpses' head. Kung Lao knelt and joined her.

"You must be a friend of Rayden's", he said, smiling at her. Shyly, she smiled back. "I am Kung Lao."

"I think she's gathered that," Rayden whispered waspishly. "Kung Lao, Kimari; Kimari, Kung Lao. Happy now? We don't have the time for extended introductions." With that, his legs gave out, and he sank down heavily to sit on the floor.

"Rayden!" Kimari hissed, "are you alright?" Rayden struggled to open his good eye again and glare at her.

"No. And I won't be until we get to that portal." Kimari froze, and Rayden allowed himself a groan, and to close his eye so he wouldn't see the expression on her face. "What's wrong with the portal, 'Mari?"

"Nothing. It's just that... It's on the fourth level, and it's... It's outside. Outside the palace. In the grand plaza."

"Outside." Rayden's voice was heavy. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"You didn't ask!" the woman replied in a quiet wail. There was silence for a moment, then Rayden spoke again.

"Well, it doesn't change anything. We still need to find Taja and Siro, and we still need to get to the portal." He opened his good eye to see Kung Lao grinning at him. "What?" he demanded in a whisper.

"That won't be hard," he whispered in return. "They're next door."

**The prisons, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

It transpired that the guard at Kung Lao's door was present as a threat to Taja and Siro, and that his orders were to spring into their cell and kill them at the slightest hint of a disturbance from the monk. Siro squeezed the former thunder god's shoulder when they slipped inside Kung Lao's cell, and Taja threw her arms around him, then jumped back at his gasp of pain. Her gaze swung from Rayden to Kung Lao, assessing the bruises and marks of torture.

"I'd never have said it, but it looks like we got off light." She massaged her upper arms. "Aside from being chained to a wall, they didn't..." Taja swallowed. She returned her eyes to Rayden. "So what's the plan?" Rayden gave a choked, soft laugh.

"Right now, I'm just glad that you're all alive." He beckoned to Kimari. "Give me that cloth." With the slaves help, he wound the cloth around his face and head, leaving two tails to trail down his bare back With no attempt at modesty, he stripped off his distinctive white pants and boots, trading them for the clothing of the guard. There was a slight problem, however. The guard had been a little shorter than Rayden, which left a few inches of his pale ankles bare. It would only take someone taking a second look to give the ruse away. Taja slowly shook her head, then turned to Kimari.

"We have to get outside, right?" The slave nodded. "The... the ones like you, do they leave the palace?"

"Never," Kimari replied softly. "We stay in the dormitories awaiting the Emperor's pleasure." Taja cocked her head, obviously thinking furiously.

"But other slaves go out?" At Kimari's nod, she spoke again. "OK, I have a plan." Four pairs of eyes swung to her, and she gave her old grin.

**The prisons, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

The three muscular guards herded their charges through the corridors. No one gave them a second glance. Every eye was on the prisoners, two shackled red headed females, wearing a mix of leather straps and crimson cloth. They were a little smudged and dirty, but that did nothing to distract from the expanses of pale flesh displayed by their garments.

"Left here," Kimari whispered. "The outer palace wall should be just ahead." The group rounded a corner, and saw, in the distance at the end of a corridor, a large door, bound in iron, and being guarded by two black and red garbed guards. Siro straightened his shoulders and rehearsed his line once more, knowing it was now his turn. Taking the lead, he marched forwards, the others in tow. He grinned at the guards, knowing that they couldn't see it under his head cloth, but it added the right tone to his voice.

"They're for Motaro and the Centaurians." Siro managed not to stumble over the unfamiliar names. "Compliments of the Emperor himself." The guards studied the women for long moments. Eventually one of them gave a low whistle and shook his head.

"What a waste. The four legs will rip them apart." The other gave a nod, then began to remove the bars from the door. "How did you land such an easy-on-the-eyes job?" the guard asked conversationally as his partner finally cracked the door open.

"Just lucky, I guess," Siro replied, then made a gesture to Taja and Kimari. "Move, you." The women obediently shuffled forwards, chains clanking. As easily as that, the group left the palace of Shao Kahn.

On the narrow path outside the gates, Rayden gave a shudder and slowly began to topple. Only an iron will had been keeping him on his feet. It was only Kung Lao's quick reflexes that stopped him from crashing full length to the ground. Taja and Kimari dropped their chains and ran to the former god's side. Rayden shook his head at them. "We have to keep moving," he rasped. "We have to get to the portal." Kung Lao gave a short sigh, then nodded.

"Kimari, you and I will have to help him. Taja, Siro, you're still able to fight, so you're going to have to take the lead." That was the only admission the monk would make to just how hurt he was. Kung Lao and the slave arranged Rayden so that the former god's arms rested across their shoulders, giving them much of his weight. They were only able to move slowly at first, but picked up the pace when they grew accustomed to handling the burden. Throughout it all, Rayden's jaw was clenched and his open eye was filled with agony.

They crept through the rubble field that filled the ground at the base of Shao Kahn's mountainous palace. Several times they had to stop and take cover as residents of Outworld moved past, but they made it to the plaza before the palace without incident. Screened from view by a convenient outcrop of rock, the group stopped and stared as one.

The vortex of the portal swirled in oranges and purples, dwarfing everything in the plaza. The plaza itself was quite full too. Legions of the Emperor's guard wandered here and there, with massive four armed Shokans and four legged Centaurans lounging around in groups and eying each other. Here and there a Shadow Priest moved, ensuring order in the name of Shao Kahn. It was a true sea of beings, in all shapes, sizes and colors, and behind them all the portal continued to swirl. Siro voiced the thought they all had.

"I think we're in trouble."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note: Almost there. :D -LN**_

**The Throne room, the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

"_What!_" Kahn roared rising from his throne. "_You let him escape?_" His massive sword was in his hand faster that thought and cleaving through the air. The guard did not even have time to cry out before his head was spinning through the air in a spray of bright red blood. "_Find him!_" the Emperor howled. "_Rayden must not leave Outworld!_" The rest of the guards in the throne room scattered, and alarm bells began to ring throughout the palace. Panting in his fury, Shao Kahn lifted the broadsword, staring at the blood that trickled down its edge. "Very clever, brother," he spat, "but not clever enough." Gathering himself and his energies, Kahn focused on the one place Rayden would go and teleported in a flash of green light.

**The Great Plaza, outside the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

"So how are we going to do this?" Taja asked, eying the gathering of soldiers before the vortex. Carefully and silently they had made their way around the edges of the Great Plaza, and now stood only fifty meters or so from the portal to Earthrealm, screened from view by a low stone wall. "I don't think we can just walk up and say, hey, can we use your portal?"

"We'll need a plan," Rayden murmured, removing his arm from Kung Lao's shoulders and sagging against the rocks.

"Another one of your plans? Will we survive it?" Kimari muttered, helping him get a little more comfortable. Surprisingly Rayden removed his face mask and smiled at her.

"The last one worked, didn't it?" Both Siro and Kung Lao followed suit in removing their own face coverings, and Siro scrubbed one hand through his hair and shaking it out.

"I'm guessing we can't try the pretend guard trick. So what options does that leave us?"

"We need a diversion to get them away from the portal." Taja shook her head in frustration. "But what-" It was at that moment that the bells began to ring, and a look of sadness filled Rayden's one open eye, just as panic filled Kimari's.

"That's the warning bell, it's a call to arms! He knows!" Her voice held the same panic her eyes did. "He knows that you've escaped!" Rayden threw a glance towards the plaza, and gave a grunt, pointing with one hand.

"I'd say that's a safe bet." Kahn had appeared in a flash of green light, causing a ripple in the bodies surrounding him as the soldiers fell to their knees in supplication before their Emperor. The ripple spread, and soon every soldier and Priest was kneeling. Shao Kahn looked over their bowed heads and spoke in a roar.

"Come out, brother! Have the courage to show yourself, Rayden! I know you're here!" Taja gave a choked squeak.

"_Brother?_"

"Half brother," Rayden corrected almost absently, measuring the distance again between the mortals and the vortex of the portal. "Same father, different mothers." He seemed to come to a decision, and straightened his spine, pulling away from the rocks to stand under his own power. He turned to pierce Kung Lao with something resembling his old stare. "When the time comes, make a break for the portal and return to Earthrealm. Do not stop, do not hesitate, no matter what happens. Take Kimari with you. Find the Wind God Fujin and tell him of the danger. He will contact the Elder Gods and close Kahn's portal." Kung Lao gave Rayden an uncomprehending stare, but it was Kimari who spoke.

"Rayden, what are you going to do?" Rayden smiled, and reached out, brushing a lock of red gold hair away from her face.

"Provide a distraction." With that, he turned and stepped out from behind the rocks and approached the Emperor.

**The Great Plaza, outside the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

Shao Kahn watched as Rayden approached. The soldiers nearest him sprang to their feet and made to grab him, but were stopped at a bellow from the Emperor. "Let him come!" When Rayden was closer, Kahn let loose a mocking laugh. His brother finally looked like the weak, pathetic fool he was. He wore black pants, obviously taken from a guard much shorter than he, and the odd light from the portal behind the Emperor rippled over his bare torso and face, revealing the last beating he had taken at the Emperor's hands. Rayden's hair was matted and clung to his skull, and he could only open one eye. He looked so frail and worn, so _mortal_, that Kahn was almost dazed. _I have won_, he thought. _He is beaten._ "Are you ready to kneel, brother?" Yet Rayden's lips crooked in a smile.

"I come bearing a message, Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld."

"A message?" Shao Kahn laughed again. "A message. Then by all means, speak, and keep yourself alive a little while longer." Rayden nodded.

"The Elder Gods have heard of your breach of the rules of Mortal Kombat. They come to punish you, Emperor." The title held disdain as it fell from the former Thunder God's lips. "And it shall be glorious to watch. _Brother_." A sneer curved Kahn's lips.

"The Elder Gods coming here." His tone was full of scorn. "I think not." The Emperor stepped forwards and gripped Rayden's throat in one huge fist, lifting the former god's feet clear of the ground. He cocked a fist and drove it into Rayden's face, rocking his head back and causing a spray of blood to explode from his mouth. "A truly pathetic trick, brother." He threw another punch. "Is this all you have? Is this the last effort of the great Rayden?" And again he hit him, then opened his hand and let Rayden crumple to the ground. Shao Kahn swung his boot and kicked Rayden in the ribs, a move accompanied by the satisfying sound of bone breaking. Rayden curled over on his side, coughing up another spray of blood. He twisted his head and looked up at Kahn towering above him, and that _smile_ curved his bloodstained lips again.

"No," he croaked. "That is." Kahn spun, and a roar burst from him as he saw the four figures disappear into the the portals' vortex. He took a single step towards them, and it was at that moment that Rayden struck, using a knife he'd taken from a guard and concealed in the waistband of his trousers. He shoved it in behind the Emperor's knee, twisting it viciously as Kahn howled in pain and fell to the ground in the Great Plaza.

**Former site of the city of Shakana, Earthrealm**

Taja, Siro, Kung Lao and Kimari tumbled from the portal and staggered across the open ground. It was Kung Lao who first saw the two figures standing on the earth a little distance away. An elderly woman and a powerful warrior, unless one looked closer and saw that the man's eyes were solid white and glowed in his face.

Fujin studied the mortal. From the description he'd received, he had no doubt that this was Kung Lao, champion of Mortal Kombat, albeit rather more battered and bruised than the description had been. "I am Fujin," he said, before the monk could speak. "And you are Kung Lao, victor of Mortal Kombat." The monk nodded, and Fujin took a few steps towards him. "Where is my brother Rayden?" Taja made a noise of surprise.

"Just how many brothers does Rayden have?" she complained.

"Where is he?" the Wind God demanded again, in no mood for mortal foibles. Kung Lao simply pointed back over his shoulder.

"He's there. In Outworld."

"_Outworld!_" Both divinities spoke in unison, shock and surprise in their tones.

"Rayden would have been stripped of his powers had he gone to Outworld. He would have become a mortal. He wouldn't have gone there."

"Unless he was tricked into going," the Elder Goddess of Stone commented, then fixed Kung Lao with a piercing grey stare. "He is at the mercy of Shao Kahn." It was not a question. The monk simply nodded. Fujin took another step forward, and another, moving every closer to the portal. "Wind God, what do you plan?"

"Shao Kahn has no mercy. I'm going to save my brother." Stone's voice swung out in a whiplash of anger.

"And you will repeat the exact same mistake that the Thunder God made! Remember, the protector of Earthrealm loses all his power and becomes mortal once he leaves his own realm."

A harsh wind began to blow, whipping hair and garments, but leaving Fujin untouched by its violent caress. "I can't just do nothing! _He's my brother!_"

"Think, Wind God," the Elder Goddess' voice was crisp. "You cannot enter Outworld." A grimace twisted her face. "And I cannot interfere, as he is no longer the protector of Earthrealm, and it is obviously his own fault he is in Outworld. Kahn has not the power to kidnap a god."

"You will leave him to die." Kimari blinked, and swallowed, not meaning the words to come out. Stone turned her eyes to the woman, studying her from head to foot. Finally she shook her head.

"There is nothing we can do." Kung Lao gave a slight bow, then turned on his heel and started walking back to the portal. "Where are you going, monk?" Stone demanded.

"I'm going to help my friend."

**The Great Plaza, outside the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

Shao Kahn toyed with Rayden, cuffing him about, allowing him to claw his way to his feet before he slammed him to the ground once more. The soldiers had retreated to form a great circle around the pair, and cheered lustily at every blow Kahn landed. There came a time when Rayden could no longer stand, and instead crouched on hands and knees, head hanging low. The Emperor pulled back, the launched a kick at Rayden's exposed stomach. The former god flew through the air to crash, limp and motionless, on the stones of the plaza. Kahn lifted his hands, acknowledging the shouts and cries of his warriors.

He could see that Rayden was fighting to open his eyes, fighting to keep watching him, and Shao Kahn stepped forward slowly, with a measured tread. He was now beyond caring. He'd kill his brother, then lead his troops through the vortex. Once he had Earthrealm, even the Elder Gods would be forced to acknowledge his dominion. He smiled as he savored that thought.

A flicker of movement stopped his approach, and he swung to see the same four figures who had retreated through the portal return. The Emperor's laugh died in his throat as he saw what three of them carried. The monk carried a staff; grey and slender, the tall warrior a sword that shimmered in Outworld's subdued light; and the woman with short red hair held a spear hung with green ribbons. All three items pulled at Kahn's mind, and he knew them as sacred weapons, blessed by the gods.

"Shao Kahn!" the monk cried. "We are here for Rayden." The body on the stone gave a twitch, then a moan of denial.

"Kung Lao, no!" Rayden found the energy to cry. "Go back!"

"Kill them!" Shao Kahn bellowed to his troops, who started to pour forwards. Siro made a sweeping gesture with the sword and a cyclonic wind roared, mowing down any who tried to stand in it's path. The former bodyguard blinked, then gave a laugh. Taja shifted, then hurled the spear at a four-armed Shokan who had managed to avoid the wind the sword had conjured. It transfixed him, neatly as a butterfly on a card, and left Taja with an expression of surprise as it reappeared in her hand, ready to be cast again. Then Kung Lao lifted the staff and drove it butt first onto the rocks of the Great Plaza.

The cracking sound it made echoed and re-echoed around the plaza, even over the noises of the soldiers. A soft rumble sounded, growing louder and louder as the ground itself began to heave and shake. Soldiers were tossed left and right as the very stones they stood upon buckled and cracked, and even Shao Kahn lost his footing in the mighty earthquake. Kimari darted across the stones of the plaza, reaching Rayden's side. She tugged at him.

"Come on, Rayden, get up! We have to go!" He opened his good eye and peered at her for a moment, then, adrenaline surging, he scrambled to his feet and leaned against Kimari as they staggered across the heaving ground heading for the portal.

From his position on the ground, Kahn watched in disbelief as Rayden was helped towards the vortex. "No, you will not escape me!" he howled over the sound of the tortured ground, and yanked a long dagger from his boot. Levering himself up onto one knee, he cocked his arm and threw.

**The Great Plaza, outside the palace of the Emperor Shao Kahn, Outworld**

Kimari kept her arm tight around Rayden as they moved as fast as they could towards freedom. She found herself almost chanting under her breath, "Nearly there, nearly there." It was then she heard Kahn's howl, and stared over her shoulder with wide eyes. She caught the gleam of steel as it left the Emperor's hand. Summoning up all the grace and agility she could muster, she spun them both, attempting to get out of the path of the blade. She was thrust hard against Rayden, and he found himself with his back to the portal, holding Kimari against his chest. He looked down into those extraordinary green eyes, and she smiled up at him.

"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt," she murmured, and it was only then that he noticed the pricking against his chest. Rayden looked further down and was puzzled for a moment to see the small triangle of steel protruding from her chest. When she went limp and her head rolled forward, he could see the hilt of the knife sticking out from her back between her shoulder blades, decorated with the personal colors of the Emperor Shao Kahn.

"No," he whispered, stunned, unbelieving. "No, 'Mari, it was supposed to be me. It was supposed to be me. You were supposed to be free." Kung Lao, Taja and Siro ran towards him.

"Go, Rayden, go!" Taja screamed, slamming into him and carrying him and his burden through the swirling vortex, the Emperor's scream of rage and denial following them.

**Temple of the Elder Gods, all realms and none**

The Elder God of Time shifted, perhaps uneasily. "This is a serious charge, Sister Stone, the unleashing of an Elder God's power in the realm of Outworld without the consent of the council."

Stone, in the form of the elderly woman once more, gave a shrug and a snort. "Since he asked so nicely, how could I refuse such a handsome young man? It would not have been polite. What he did with the staff is not my concern, since he returned it to me once he was finished."

"And the portal between Earthrealm and Outworld?" the Elder God of Fire rumbled, his voice full of the crackling and snapping of his element.

"Closed, as this matter should be," Stone replied pointedly. "Whom I chose to loan anything to is not the business of this council, nor should it be."

"And what of Lord Rayden?" the Elder Goddess of Water asked, voice carefully neutral. "Will he return to his former position as protector of Earthrealm?" Stone gave a smile.

"I had the impression he was going to return, with the blessings of the Earthrealm Wind God. But he said that first he was going on vacation."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Authors' note: Kudos for anyone who gets the gratuitious Jeff Meeks reference in this chapter. This is the end of a long ride - thanks for joining me. - LN**_

**The Temple of Light, outskirts of the City of Zhu Zin, Earthrealm**

As the last monk took the path that led back to the Temple proper, Kung Lao stepped forwards and placed a spray of apple blossom on the freshly turned earth of the grave. "Thank you for saving his life," he said simply, straightening up. When Kung Lao had told the monks exactly what Kimari had done, how she had freed them all, and saved Rayden's life at the cost of her own, they had given her all honors in her funeral. He, Siro and Taja had joined the procession, ending up in the shady, tree-lined park. Unlike other members of the order, Kimari had a headstone marking her final resting place, giving her name, and inscribed with the characters that denoted a champion of the Order of Light.

"She was really brave, for a slave," Taja noted, stepping forwards to place a single red rose amongst the fragrant white flowers. "I don't think I would have had the guts to do what she did."

"Ah, don't sell yourself short," Siro said easily, giving the red head a gentle cuff to the shoulder. "You really can't say what you'd do in a situation until you've lived it." He leaned his muscular frame down and placed a braided wreath of vines and sweet-smelling yellow daisies on the earth. "Mind you, she was... a remarkable woman." He straightened, and saw the cynical looks both Kung Lao and Taja were giving him. "Hey!" he protested. "I was thinking about what she did, not what she looked like!"

A gentle breeze swept through the graveyard, making the leaves on the trees dance. The trio turned to see the Wind God appear, a twist of jasmine curled around his hand. They watched as he silently approached the grave, then pressed his flower covered hand to the head stone. The jasmine began to writhe, then flow like water, until it entwined the marker, opening petals to the sun and filling the air with their unique fragrance. "I thought it appropriate," Fujin remarked in the silence. "She saved my brothers' existence, and I cannot repay her for it. At least this way, she'll always have something living to mark her sacrifice."

"Have you seen Rayden?" Kung Lao asked after another moment of silence. "I would have thought he'd be here today." Fujin shook his head.

"He has made no attempt to contact me since..." The Wind God's voice trailed off. "He will resume the mantle of Protector of Earthrealm after he has done what ever it is he needs to do, and I shall give him time for his grief." A slight, sad smile came to Fujin's eternal face. "In that, I am very mortal. Gods have no real concept of grief. My brother has taught me much."

Taja's curiosity, never tightly lidded in the first place, bubbled over. "So, does that mean that you're related to Shao Kahn, too?" Fujin tilted his head to look at her.

"No," he replied, "we are related on our mothers' side. Same mother, different fathers."

"And Rayden and Shao Kahn have the same father, but different mothers." Taja nodded. "That was bugging me. How Rayden and Shao Kahn could be..." She wrapped her arms around herself and gave a shiver. "They're just so different!"

"Not that different," a familiar voice, now filled with sadness, said. "We both get people killed." Rayden walked from the trees to stand at the foot of the grave. He was no longer the filthy, blood spattered, wounded creature Shao Kahn had locked away. The Thunder God was back, in his familiar white and blue robes, his storm cloud hair neat and smooth and hanging to his shoulders. His deep blue eyes held an ocean of pain and regret, and Taja felt herself reaching out before she thought to touch his arm. To her surprise, Rayden jerked back, stopping her from touching him.

"It wasn't your fault, Rayden," she said instead, willing him to believe her. "Shao Kahn-" She was stopped by an eerie, bitter laugh from the Thunder God, one that sent shivers down the spines of the mortals who heard it.

"Fujin was sworn on the seal of the Elder Gods to become the Protector of Earthrealm. All I had to do was kneel, and _she would still be alive_." That laugh sounded again. "But I was stubborn." Fujin studied the other god for a moment. Then, pivoting on his heel, he swung a right handed hook at Rayden's jaw. It connected with a crack, sending the Thunder God stumbling back a few steps. Fujin followed him, both hands raised and feet set in a fighting stance. Kung Lao, Siro and Taja watched in open mouthed amazement as Rayden lifted a hand and pressed it to his jaw, his blue eyes filling with lightning as his mouth thinned into a grim line. "_How dare you?_" he spat.

"I dare because the sight of so much self pity makes me want to vomit," the Wind God snarled back as a cool wind sprang up from nowhere and thunder growled ominously in the distance. His white eyes flashed as he made a beckoning gesture with one hand. "Come on, Thunder God," he said contemptuously with a sneer, "make me regret it." Rayden gave a cry of pure fury and launched himself at his brother. They traded blows for a moment, almost faster than the mortals could see, before Fujin slipped behind Rayden, kicked him in the back of the knee, then wrapped his arms around the Thunder God, temporarily immobilizing him. "Look," he hissed into Rayden's ear, "and listen, as I'm only going to say this once. If you had knelt, these three would be dead, and so would you. Earthrealm would have been without a Champion for the next Mortal Kombat, and most likely would have fallen to Shao Kahn." He easily held Rayden as the other struggled momentarily. "Your selfish desire to blame yourself for her death makes light of her sacrifice, her gift that preserved the safety of Earthrealm. And I won't let you dishonor her like that."

Rayden sagged in Fujin's grip, the lightening fading from his eyes, and after a moment the Wind God loosened his hold, turning it into an embrace. "She died free, brother, and that's more than most slaves dare wish for, especially in Shao Kahn's palace." The Thunder God nodded slowly, wearily, and Fujin finally lowered his arms and stepped away.

The mortals watched as Rayden walked to the foot of the grave. After a long, silent moment, he spoke in a soft voice. "I made you a promise, and I couldn't keep it. For that, I'm sorry." He lifted one hand, and a corona of white, flickering light sheathed it. The Thunder God pointed a finger at the headstone, and the lightening leapt, filling the air with the stench of ozone as it burned into the granite. The name Kimari was obliterated and replaced in the space of seconds. The marker now had a different name upon it, scored deep into the stone. "But at least I found your real name, Alise. Rest you well." With that, he turned back to Fujin, who gave a slight smile, one that was mirrored by the Thunder God.

"Just like old times, 'eh?" Fujin said. "Me knocking some sense into that thick skull of yours." Rayden made as if to hit him as Fujin's smile grew wider.

"What happened to the respect and honor due an older and more experienced brother, white eyes?" Rayden commented dryly.

"I respect and honor you, oh great and mighty Protector of the Earthrealm," Fujin protested mockingly. "When you're not being a complete and utter horses' backside, that is."

Rayden shook his head, turning and throwing one arm around Taja's shoulders. "I need a drink. You should thank the Elder Gods that you don't have any younger brothers." He paused, and the familiar smile came to his face. "Or at least a younger brother like mine."

Fujin stepped to the other side of a dazed looking Taja and offered her his arm courteously. "Or you could wish to the Elders that you did. It may keep you out of some trouble." Hesitantly, Taja linked her free arm with the Wind God's. "Older brothers, however, are a pain in the... neck."

"I'm quite willing to give you a pain in the neck so that you can tell the difference," Rayden growled to Fujin over Taja's head. The Wind God simply smiled.

"Oh, look, we got the girl." Fujin gave Rayden a wink, then swung his gaze to Kung Lao and Siro, who were looking just as dazed as Taja. "Or rather, I did. See you at the tavern," he added, and with a strong gust of wind, both he and Taja vanished. Rayden shook his head, a smile on his face, turning to face the two mortals. Siro spoke first.

"What... what just happened?" Rayden gave a snort of laughter.

"Fujin and I spent centuries together, coming into our... immortality, I guess you might say. He knows how I think, as I know how he thinks. And as much as I hate to admit it, he's right." Rayden stopped and took a breath. "I dishonor the sacrifice she made if I try and make her death my fault." He shook his head, his silver-grey hair swinging around his shoulders. "I hate it when he's right. He'll crow about this for decades. And that's if I'm_lucky_." The Thunder God extended both hands to Kung Lao and Siro. "Come on, we should catch up."

"What happened to keeping 'the fast way' for an emergency?" Kung Lao asked as he put his hand in Rayden's. Rayden laughed, his normal, deep, carefree laugh.

"It is an emergency. If we don't get there soon, that lush will drink the tavern dry!" As Siro took his other hand, Rayden added, "Remind me to tell you the story of when we went on a tavern crawl with the Goddess of Peace. Fujin hates being embarrassed in company." With a crack of thunder and a flash of lightening the trio vanished, leaving the jasmine nodding in the peaceful, shady silence.

**The End.  
**


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